Fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs have exhibited efficacy in a variety of pharmaceutical applications. Of particular importance to the present invention, fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs have exhibited efficacy in ophthalmic, nasal and otic pharmaceutical compositions for treating conditions such as conjuctivitis. However, fluoroquinolone antibiotic drugs, particularly moxifloxacin, can have characteristics that create difficulties in designing pharmaceutical vehicles suitable for delivery of the drugs.
As one example, many fluoroquinolones can cause turbidity when used in pharmaceutical solutions, particularly viscous aqueous solutions (e.g., aqueous ophthalmic multi-dose solutions). As a further example, many fluoroquinolones, particularly hydrophobic fluoroquinolones, tend to exhibit less bioavailability in such solutions. Still further, many fluoroquinolones, again particularly hydrophobic fluoroquinolones, exhibit a distinct lack of homogeneity in such solutions.
Previous research efforts have uncovered ingredients useful in addressing the difficulties of designing pharmaceutical vehicles for fluoroquinolones. As one example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,540, which is fully incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, discusses the advantages of using xanthan gum as part of a pharmaceutical vehicle for a fluoroquinolone such as ciprofloxacin.
Such discoveries, while quite desirable, still leave drawbacks and difficulties in formulating pharmaceutical vehicles for fluoroquinolones. As such, the present invention provides pharmaceutical vehicles for a fluoroquinolone drug or pharmaceutical compositions that include a fluoroquinolone drug where the vehicle or composition exhibits improved homogeneity, improved bioavailability, lower turbidity or any combination thereof.